UBCM to hear Sooke’s oil tanker opposition

The voice of Sooke will be heard at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September.

Sooke District council was informed last week that a motion it proposed to the UBCM on its opposition of oil tanker traffic will be heard by delegates.

The motion follows a referendum passed by Sooke voters in last year’s municipal election asking: “Should the District of Sooke join other municipalities in renewing and restating its opposition to the expansion of oil tanker traffic through coastal B.C. waters.” There were 2,618 “yes” votes and 1,137 “no” votes.

The policy session is the backbone of the UBCM convention. Last year delegates considered more than 150 resolutions, many of them dealing with provincial or federal issues with little direct effect on local governments. That led some politicians to criticize the UBCM itself for not confining resolutions to municipal-specific issues.

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